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When did you stop believing in Father Christmas?

For me it was when I was six years old and was taken to see him in his Grotto. My Mum siad I could go in on my own as I was growing up. he lifted me up and sat on his lap which had a big long lump in it. After we'd spoken for a while he told me that he had to go and 'feed his deer'. Imagine how I must've felt, how excited I would be to actually be able to see them all, especially Rudolph who was my favourite reindeer! So I waited outside the Grotto enterance and followed him unseen. My heart broke when I followed him to the gentlemens' toilet (rest room in american english) and saw what he did there, it certainly had nothing to do with feeding the reindeer who I never saw! In tears I ran and found my Mum who'd been shopping elsewhere in the big department store, and told her what I saw. She became very angry and took me to see the store manager, who asked me to tell my story. I don't know what happened after that but when Mum took me shopping there the next week there was a different Father Christmas, he seemed shorter than the other one, and my Mum held on to my hand really tightly and wouldn't let me go into the Grotto again.

It was only as I grew up that I realised what had happened, and to this day I can never see a live Father Christmas without repressing a shudder.

What a sad thing to rememeber..
Well, I never believed those Santas in Malls, perhaps, cause, I always new that Santa lives far away, so, how could it be possible be here and not in his workshop, getting ready for the big night??

I thought it best, given the subject matter, to create a new thread that could be removed if required. True, the subject is the darker side of Christmas, but I had to get it out of me.

I just want people involved in Christmas to realise what an effect they can have on young impressionable minds, and that's why I become annoyed when I see Santas who just don't make the effort, wearing obviously fake beards and those cheap eye-wateringly red Santa suits.

Yes, its very sad, watching fake Santas who are not in the mood at all, pretending they are the real one..

When I was a kid, I visited with my parents a Christmas store in city.. there was a Santa working there, very tall, thin, with a small fake beard, eating a sandwich, drinking a beer..
I did not want to go and see him, I did not feel like to...

My friends father was a mall Santa for over 20 years. He loved his job and you could easily tell, as his costume was gorgeous, his boots were genuine and his long white beard and hair were very real! He looked like Santa year round and even wore fancy suspenders in the summer!!